Glock Rear Sight Screw Stripped? The Right Tool, the Fix, and What to Replace It With: Reviewed by a CCW Instructor

Reviewed by

Chris Raper — Retired North Carolina law enforcement (40+ years) · U.S. Air Force Security Police · NRA-certified Pistol, Rifle & Shotgun Instructor · NC DOJ-certified Concealed Carry Instructor · Founder, Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. (Elm City, NC, 2006)

Expert-reviewed by

Bill Wilson — Founder, Wilson Combat · 1911 gunsmith since 1974 (manufacturer — disclosed) · Review date: October 31, 2026

In addition to my own research and what my students bring into the Concealed Handgun Carry class every week, this guide was reviewed by Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat, whose opinion appears below. The method line at the end of the article says exactly how this guide was built.

The Glock factory adjustable rear sight is adjusted with a very small slotted screw, and the slot is shallow. Use a driver that is slightly too wide or too thick and it cams out and chews the slot; two tries later the screw is stripped and the sight will not adjust or come off. This is one of the most common Glock sight problems and it has a specific fix.

Expert verdicts

In one line: A Glock rear sight screw stripped by the wrong driver can usually be backed out; use the Glock OEM adjustment tool, then consider replacing it with a fixed sight.

Chris Raper — reviewed: Suggested draft — rewrite in your own words Of all the sight problems students bring to me, a chewed-up Glock adjustable rear sight screw is one of the most common and one of the most avoidable. That slot is small and shallow, and a generic jeweler's driver cams right out of it. If your screw is still intact, buy the Glock OEM adjustment tool before you touch it again. If it is already stripped, follow the back-out steps on this page, and then, honestly, I would put a good fixed sight on that gun and be done with adjusting it.

Bill Wilson, Wilson Combat — opinion: Suggested draft — rewrite in your own words A stripped screw is almost always a tool problem, not a gun problem. Every small fastener on a pistol was designed around a driver that fits it, and using something that is merely close enough is how you ruin it. I learned precision fitting on watch movements before I ever worked on a 1911, and the lesson is the same: the right blade, square in the slot, steady pressure. If the screw is already damaged, go slowly and work the correct extraction sequence instead of forcing it. Then think about whether an adjustable sight is what you want on a carry gun at all; a quality fixed sight, properly fitted, has fewer parts that can move. Reliability first. As a manufacturer, I disclose my relationships and do not rank products on this site.

Bill Wilson is an editorial advisor on sight installation, 1911 and custom-pistol guidance; his text above is a suggested draft prepared from his published work and is shown only once he has written or approved it. Full profile · About Chris

The tool that fits

Glock makes an OEM adjustable rear sight screwdriver whose blade matches the slot width and depth exactly. It is inexpensive and it is the reason the screw strips for people using a generic jeweler’s driver and not for people using the Glock tool. If you still have an intact screw, buy this before you touch it again.

Glock OEM Rear Sight Screwdriver on Amazon

Backing out a stripped screw

Clear and field strip. Work on the bare slide.
Try the OEM driver first with firm downward pressure. A partially stripped slot often still catches the correct blade.
If not, a drop of penetrating oil on the screw, wait ten minutes, then press a flat blade into the slot while turning. Downward pressure matters more than torque.
Still stuck: put a tiny cut across the screw head with a Dremel cutoff wheel to deepen the slot, protecting the sight with tape, then use a wider blade.
Last resort: the whole sight comes out of the dovetail with a Glock sight pusher regardless of the screw, and you replace the sight.

Loctite on pistol sights chart: blue 242 for set screws and Glock front sight nut, never red, never in the dovetail — Infographic: Loctite on pistol sights chart

Watch: “How To Install Glock Night Sights” by Iraqveteran8888 on YouTube.

Replace it with a fixed sight

Most Glock owners who strip the adjustable screw replace the sight with a fixed steel or tritium rear sight rather than another adjustable one. Fixed sights have no screw to strip, hold zero under recoil, and are what most carry and duty Glocks run. Pushing the old sight out and the new one in is a ten-minute job with the angled shoe; the procedure is in how to use a sight pusher and the night-sight options are in the Glock guide.

Pridefend Sight Pusher for Glock vs TRUGLO Tritium Pro Night Sights for Glock

Pridefend Glock Sight Pusher on Amazon

TRUGLO Tritium Pro Glock Sights on Amazon

FAQ

What size screwdriver fits the Glock adjustable rear sight?

The Glock OEM adjustable rear sight tool. Generic small flat blades are usually too thick for the shallow slot and cam out.

Can I remove the Glock adjustable rear sight without the screw?

Yes. The sight body is dovetailed; a Glock sight pusher with the angled shoe pushes it out regardless of the screw.

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Founder & Lead Reviewer · NRA Certified Instructor · Retired NC Law Enforcement

Chris Raper

Chris Raper is the founder and lead reviewer of Conceal & Carry Network. A retired North Carolina law-enforcement officer with more than 40 years of service and a U.S. Air Force Security Police veteran, he founded Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. in Elm City, NC in 2006 and has taught the state-approved NC Concealed Handgun Carry class there ever since. He is an NC Department of Justice certified Firearms Safety Instructor, an NRA Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun Instructor, an NRA Range Safety Officer and a graduate of Massad Ayoob's Lethal Force Institute. He reviews the carry guns, holsters, safes and sight tools his students ask about every week.

Concealed Handgun Carry, Inc. · Instructor qualifications